Mystical Attraction and Magical Medicine
by David Stroud-Swan
Summary: This is my first Cats fan fiction story and is more of an experiment than a real story.  I've written something a lot more complex since this one called Self Discovery; check it out.
1. Chapter 1

_Please note that I'm really, __really__ awful at dividing my stories into chapters, so the chapters tend to be really short and there tends to be lots of them. Any suggestions at better points to break and start new chapters would be much appreciated. _

Coricopat fervently knocked on the makeshift wooden door to Mistoffelees' den, and once let in by the sleep-deprived tuxedo cat who had been up the previous day with bad dreams, immediately launched into an anxiety-ridden explanation of how Old Deuteronomy had been stabbed in the day by Macavity. With a distinct expression of alarm, Mistoffelees seized Coricopat's hand and, in a puff of smoke, transported them both to Old Deuteronomy's tire. He was unconscious when the magical cat arrived.

Tugger was sitting in one corner in a panicked state anxiety, worried sick about his father. Upon Mistoffelees' arrival, he promptly asked if there was anything he could do. The black tuxedo cat replied with, "Yes, but you're going to have to be really careful and have exceptionally steady hands." Tugger walked over and, wiping away unshed tears, said, "Anything."

Mistoffelees placed his hands over the area where the knife poked through on Old Deuteronomy's chest, blue sparks flying, his eyes closed in concentration. "Tugger, grasp the knife and pull it out, but do so as slowly as you possibly can so I can heal the damage as we go." As the knife was extracted, Mistoffelees' magic healed the wound so that all that was left was a slightly red area, which he said would go away in about an hour.

As Coricopat began to explain what had happened to the just-awakening Old Deuteronomy, Mistoffelees walked out into the fresh air to take some deep breaths - that healing took up a lot of his energy. Tugger followed him out with a look a gratefulness in his eyes, and quite simply hugged the magical cat, knowing that without him, his father would have died. "Thank you" was all Tugger could manage without breaking down into tears.

The hug sent shivers down Mistoffelees' spine, who had always had a crush on Tugger, but was far too shy to admit it. When Tugger released him, he caught Mistoffelees blushing and smiled that intoxicating smile before saying, "Have a good evening, Misto". The new pet name made Mistoffelees blush deeper, at which time he, in a puff of smoke, disappeared back to his den.


	2. Chapter 2

Tugger, after saying good night to his father, left for his own den on the outer edges of the junkyard. While walking, he began to think about Misto, that adorable tuxedo cat. He had never before thought of Misto in a romantic way, but was now realizing just how appealing that mystical feline really was. Hell, he never thought of _anyone_ in a romantic way – one-night-stands were about all Tugger was ever interested in. But something about Misto made his heart skip a beat and cast a shadow over everyone else he'd ever been with.

Should Tugger try to forget Misto and go back to his self-destructive, night-to-night ways, or try to get a real relationship with his new crush? He didn't know if he could make that kind of commitment, but he also knew deep down inside of himself that he couldn't go on forever like he was - Tugger needed to settle down. His brother, Munkustrap, had been talking his ear off about needing to find a partner or mate, and maybe he was right. He should follow his feelings for Misto ... but could he deal with rejection? Did Misto even like him back, or was the blush simply an effect Tugger had on all cats?

Mistoffelees sat on his bed, his blushed face slowly returning to its original white colouring. He had had a crush on Tugger for the past couple of years, and it was recently evolving into something not unlike falling in love. But that scared Misto - he was a quiet cat who needed solitude and privacy every so often. Then again, why would he need privacy if he could gaze at that beautiful Maine Coon all day? No, he could live without alone time for that.

The only question left was should he make the first move, or should he wait and hope that Tugger reciprocated the feeling and made the first move for him? He supposed he'd know when that time came, but he needed to be proactive at the very least. It was time to dazzle his crush with a bit of magic.

In a grand, billowing plume of white smoke, Mistoffelees appeared in front of Tugger, who was sitting on his bed in profound contemplation of the thought of his name. Snapping out of his daze, Tugger almost jumped out of his skin with the abrupt intrusion. Embarrassed at the fact that his mane was ruffled and going every which way from being slept on not a half an hour ago, he quickly ran over to a mirror leaning against the wall and began to fervently fix himself up. Mistoffelees just chuckled to himself and said, "Don't be so flustered - you should see how rough I look after an accident while practicing magic." Tugger blushed, not thinking he was capable of such a thing. "Hey, here", and with that, Mistoffelees perfected Tugger's fur with a few blue sparks.

Tugger, in a state of confusion as to why Mistoffelees was there at all, asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Taking a deep breath and realizing that he needed to make the first move now, Mistoffelees said, "Tugger, I have something to tell you that I've been keeping bottled up for years. As I'm sure you've noticed, I blush every time I interact with you, and that's because..." Mistoffelees took another deep breath and continued, "Because I think I love you." He paused, terrified at what Tugger's response would be, and then continued with, "If you don't feel the same way, I...", but was cut off when his crush interjected, "Misto, I feel exactly the same way. I just paused because I always figured you'd never be interested in me, and I'm taken aback by the fact that what I've been hoping – that you have feelings for me – is true. I always figured you'd mate with Victoria."

"Victoria?", Misto laughed. "She's just a really close friend. Just close enough to stop cats from bugging me about getting a mate, but not close enough to actually _be_ my mate. At any rate, I generally prefer toms."

Tugger laughed and then sighed with relief, saying, "Hey, come here." He lay down on his bed and patted the spot next to him with his paw. Misto ran over and jumped onto the bed, hugging himself tightly to the Maine Coon's chest, who hugged him back. He raised his head and said, "I've been wanting this for ages." With that, he leaned forward and kissed Tugger passionately, and Tugger kissed back. They fell asleep together, Tugger's arm around Misto, and Misto nuzzled into Tugger's mane.


	3. Chapter 3

In Jellicle culture, it is customary to disclose any new partners to the Jellicle leader, who announces new pairings at the monthly tribe meeting. And so, the first order of business when Tugger and Misto woke up as the moon just started to rise was to go see Old Deuteronomy. Upon arriving at his tire, the old cat thanked Mistoffelees for saving his life the previous night. Misto said, "You're very welcome; anything I can do to help any Jellicle, I will. Listen, I have an announcement to make. Tugger, well, Tugger and I are..." Tugger interjected, seeing Misto blush and stutter, and said, "Misto and I are now partners." With that new information, Old Deuteronomy sat in stunned silence. "I thought it would never happen. I thought you'd never settle down, but this is terrific news! Congratulations, and may you find fulfillment and happiness in your union."

As Misto and Tugger walked to the latter cat's den holding hands, Bombalurina strode over and yelled, "What in Everlasting Cat's name are you doing? Knowledge of your new relationship has spread like wildfire through the tribe - Teazer overheard you talking to Old Deuteronomy and has been telling everyone. How dare you reject me for another partner, and a tom at that! You have no sense of loyalty, do you? We've had a thing going for years, and you didn't even intend on telling me until I confronted you, did you?" She paced back and forth, fuming with anger. Misto, who so rarely lost his temper, said in a dangerously quiet voice, "Bombi, shut up. He's not your partner anymore, he's mine. Don't you dare talk to him that way ever again, or I'll singe your tail." With that, Misto and Tugger disappeared in a black puff of smoke, Misto's signature of rage.

Upon arriving back and sitting down on his bed, Tugger looked into his partner's eyes and said, "Misto, listen to me: I'm not going to leave you. My ways before being with you were promiscuous to say the least, and as a result, I've drawn a lot of attention to myself, but that's over. It's over because being with you gives me a reason to actually care about someone further than a one-night-stand. Meeting you made me a better cat, and I'd never dream of letting that go." Misto replied, "Thanks, Tugger. I'm just petrified at the thought of losing you; I've been dreaming about being with you for many moons and fear I would implode in grief if you ever left." Tugger hugged Misto and said, "I'm not going anywhere." After telling each other "I love you", they fell asleep entwined.


	4. Chapter 4

Two twins, Coricopat and Tantomile, were both psychics far more aware of the unseen than the rest of the Jellicles. Together, their abilities were amplified to a scope covering the junkyard, Macavity's lair, and much more. In a way, they functioned as Jellicle sentries.

As the moon rose, they both sat up in bed, waking from a dead sleep in a cold sweat. Macavity was active again, and they had to tell Munkustrap right away. Barging into Munkustrap's den, Tantomile said in an anxiety-ridden whisper, "Macavity's coming. He plans to kill Mistoffelees for a reason unknown to us, and is quite aware of his magical abilities. We don't think Macavity quite understands the scope of Mistoffelees' power, however, and we think that could be an essential advantage."

Trying to move his partner, Alonzo, off of his chest, so as to sit up without waking him, Munkustrap whispered back, "We need to call a meeting of all toms and queens to discuss this new, troubling information." Munkustrap nudged Alonzo, who was responsible for organizing such things. "Alonzo, Macavity's on the move. Gather all adult cats, except Mungo and Teazer, and bring them to the hidden clearing - we all need to discuss this disturbing development. I don't want the two criminals there; I can't trust them enough to include them in the plan."

Within an hour, Alonzo had all the toms and queens at the clearing. Everyone already knew something was up, and tensions were running high. Jenny looked deeply concerned, probably more for the kittens than for herself. Cassandra and Victoria sat with fur slightly raised. Misto and Tugger held hands tightly.

In his deep, authoritative voice, Munkustrap said, "Everyone, Macavity is on the rise. He just recently committed a crime more lethal in nature than the last by stabbing Old Deuteronomy while he was asleep, though Mistoffelees was able to heal the damage. Coricopat and Tantomile have sensed that he is now quite aware of Mistoffelees' healing abilities and is consequently angered, since with the introduction of a healer, many of his tricks are now useless. We do not think he will come to hurt, because he knows any injury can be healed immediately. As a result, we thing that Macavity will attempt to murder Mistoffelees in his sleep." This new information sent a wave of sharp gasps through the crowd.

Munkustrap continued, "Some good news is that we don't think Macavity fully understands the scope and strength of Mistoffelees' power. For a long time, he's only used his abilities for healing and for entertainment. Misto, can your power also be used as a weapon?"

Uncomfortable with the sudden diversion of attention to him, Mistoffelees replied, "As much as I hate to be thought of as destructive, yes. I'm sure all of you remember my performances with lightning. Well, that same lightning, when amplified and directed at a cat, can be quite lethal."

Munkustrap replied, "Mistoffelees is now living with Tugger in Tugger's den - you can congratulate them on their new partnership some other time - and thus, we're going to need sentries there. I want to make it abundantly clear that at no time are those two cats to be left alone. There has to be someone watching out all the time. Now, before I randomly pick cats for sentry duty, does anyone wish to volunteer? I will take a shift myself, and Alonzo has already agreed to take another."

Demeter rose, saying "I will take a shift. I've already encountered Macavity once, and he killed my mother that time. I'm not going to let him kill someone else too." Skimbleshanks stood next, followed by Victoria, and then Cassandra. Between Munkustrap, Alonzo, Cassandra, Demeter, Skimbleshanks, and Victoria, Mistoffelees could be covered from the minute he went to sleep to the minute he woke up until Macavity finally came.


	5. Chapter 5

Mistoffelees and Tugger had been asleep for about three hours on the second night; it was stormy outside with sheets of rain pouring down from the sky. Demeter had just taken over for Munkustrap, who was glad to go home and warm up with Alonzo. All seemed quite calm, except for Demeter, who was always tense when even the vaguest possibility of Macavity appearing existed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red glint darting across the far end of the junk yard. She quickly ran into Tugger's den to wake the couple and warn them of Macavity's impending arrival. When they awoke, Tugger hugged Misto tightly and said, "Don't be scared. I'm going to be beside you the whole time, and so will Demeter. Keep in mind that you're not alone, and have confidence in yourself."

They both walked out into the cold rain, standing there with Demeter, anticipating Macavity's arrival. When he strode from behind a heap of junk to a spot not fifteen feet from Misto, he said, "Well hello. Congratulations on getting my full and complete attention - that healing really was something. I can sense your magic when it's used - I have some myself. Want to see?" With that, Macavity produced a ball of fire that levitated above his outstretched paw. "Here, catch." He threw the ball at Misto, who easily deflected it with a sheet of pure electrical energy. Mistoffelees said, in a most assertive voice, "We really don't want any trouble. I'd like to just go back to my partner," he indicated Tugger, "and have a good night's rest curled up with him. We don't want anything to do with you, and we won't interfere in your business if you don't interfere with ours."

"You're partner, eh?" Macavity scoffed and said, "He's a pretty cat. Too bad I don't really care for Maine Coons." He strode over to Tugger and scratched his face with one swipe, leaving massive cuts. Before the pain even started to come, Misto shot a stream of sparks at Tugger, healing the cuts as if they had never been there to begin with. "Try to touch him again, and I'll incinerate you where you stand." Macavity took a single step forward and began to conjure a stream of fire, his intentions clear: he was going to do what he came for – murder Mistoffelees. But before the split-second conjuring was done, Misto shot a bolt of lightning through Macavity's chest, who fell to his knees with an expression of shock. "I had no idea you had it in you, Mistoffelees. And another killer was born." With an expression of satisfaction, Macavity fell forward and died.

Misto ran over to Tugger and buried his face into the Maine Coon's chest, crying. Trying his best to stifle his tears, he said to his partner, "I can't... I can't believe I killed him. In the moment, I thought it would bring us peace, but it's made me feel awful - I know Macavity was a horrible, hardened criminal, but I can't help thinking he had the right to live all the same."

Tugger held Misto close with one paw and turned his head to look at him with the other. "Listen to me," he said in an assertive, but caring tone, "you're not at fault here. Macavity had to die, or else he would have tormented the whole tribe for the rest of his life. I love you, the whole tribe likes and respects you, and they will continue to like and respect you. You're an awesome cat and an awesome partner - try not to bring yourself down." Wiping away his tears, Misto said, "Thanks, Tugger. It's just a lot to go through, and really overwhelming." "I know. Hey, come here." Tugger hugged Misto tightly and they went back inside to get a half-decent sleep before the whole tribe woke up that evening.


	6. Chapter 6

The next evening, after Misto conjured a box of cat treats to share with Tugger, he looked at the sparks in his hands with deep contemplation. Looking up, he said, "I've been thinking. I've seen how destructive my abilities have been, but I've also seen how constructive they are when used to heal. And I can't help but wonder if I could extend my healing abilities from trauma and common diseases to rarer, vet-incurable conditions."

Tugger replied, "Ah, I see where this is going - you want to conjure dying cats here, heal them, and send them back to where they were. I think that's really noble and respectable of you, and I'll definitely be by your side, but if you're going to go down that road, you have to promise me something. I know how your mind works, and I know that you'll never stop and never sleep for fear that you'll miss a few patients. So promise me that you'll conjure critical ones first so as to eliminate urgency as best as you can and that you'll take time for yourself. If you don't, you'll drive yourself crazy." Misto looked up into his partner's eyes and said, "I promise."

Looking down at a few sparks he was conjuring idly, Misto stated, "Tugger, I've been wondering something. I've always been the only cat in the tribe with magic, but what if it doesn't have to be that way? I'm wondering if it would be possible to grant others basic powers, like the ability to heal cuts, and so on. I don't think I could grant much more than that, and I'm hypothesizing that I'm only going to be able to do it for cats I already have a deep connection with – and you're the only one that fits that description. I seem to be beating around the bush a bit with this, but do you want to learn to heal basic injuries? It would allow me to focus my attention on more seriously-ill cats." "Sure, Misto - I'd like that. When do we start?" "Tomorrow evening - you'll need to be well-rested."

The next evening, Tugger and Misto made their way to a small clearing in the junkyard that few cats knew of. Misto started, "The first thing we have to do is give you a source of magic from myself. This might feel a little strange." Once Tugger replied that he was ready, Misto shot two bright-blue bolts of electricity up each of Tugger's arms. "I unfortunately can't give you a permanent source, but that should last for a few days. How do you feel?" Tugger, breathing hard, replied, "I'm alright - and you're right: that was a peculiar feeling. It felt like when I chewed a live wire as a kitten and shocked myself, but without the pain. It's exhilarating and frightening at the same time."

Misto smiled and said, "See those sparks floating around your hands? The first thing I need to teach you is control - how to keep those sparks from escaping until you need them. Now I want you to completely focus on the flecks of energy. No extraneous thoughts, or you might accidentally shock something. Imagine the newfound energy sinking just below your fur and skin. Once you've done that, the sparks should be gone." Tugger took a deep breath and did as he was instructed.

When the sparks disappeared, Misto encouragingly said, "You're doing great. The next thing to learn is direction." Misto conjured an old soup can, put it down, and moved away to give Tugger some space. "Focus on the can. Imagine nothing else exists besides the can. Now destroy it by directing a small burst of energy towards it." Tugger did so, and a huge bolt flew out towards the can, incinerating it. "Good aim, but we've got to work on amplitude." He conjured another can. "This time, I want you to do exactly the same thing, but only let out a short burst. You don't need much energy to incinerate something this light." Tugger shot a short burst of sparks at the can, incinerating it and leaving everything else untouched. Misto smiled and said, "Excellent, you're doing great!"

Misto extended a claw on his right paw to scratch his left, doing so and leaving a cut that was moderately shallow. When Tugger looked horrified, he said, "Don't worry - it doesn't hurt. I've blocked the pain. I want to teach you how to heal minor injuries like this one. Now, don't worry about accidentally hurting me if you lose control of the magic - I can stop it in its tracks if it comes to that." Misto extended his injured paw and said, "Come here and lay one of your paws on top of mine and the other below." After Tugger complied, he said, "Now let the magic flow really slowly and direct it to stitch that which is broken. Imagine tissues coming together - the magic will do the rest." Small sparks flowed from Tugger's paws into Misto's scratch, and within a few seconds, it was like the cut never existed at all. Rubbing his paw and admiring the good job, Misto said, "Awesome! You're a natural. I think you're ready to start doing this for real.


	7. Chapter 7

At around midnight, Etcetera knocked on the door to Misto and Tugger's den. Tugger called out, "You can come in – the door's unblocked." Upon her entering, he immediately noticed a gash across her forearm. "I cut myself on a sharp piece of broken steel when coming back from playing in a clearing in the junkyard. It really hurts; is Misto around to heal it?" Tugger replied, "He stepped out for a few minutes to get a drink, but I've been training under him. I can heal small injuries like that pretty easily - come over here and I'll fix you up." Etcetera hesitantly sat beside Tugger, wondering if he really knew what he was doing. Then again, if he wasn't trained under Misto, he wouldn't have any magic at all, and thus could do no harm. She held out her arm for Tugger, and he placed his right paw over the cut and his left under her arm to stop it from moving. Closing his eyes, he allowed a few sparks to flow into the cut, which faded away as if it were never there at all. With an expression of awe, she thanked him and left.

When Misto returned, he smelled magic in the air, as well as Etcetera's scent. "What was wrong with Etcetera?" Tugger replied, "She cut herself while coming back from playing with the other kittens, and I healed it - she's fine now." Misto replied, "Wow, you're really getting the hang of this! I think you're ready to heal on your own without me watching, which means I think it's time to start saving terminal cats. Are you ready for some serious magic?" With a glint of confidence in his eyes, Misto conjured an older tabby cat who looked to be in awful shape from a local veterinarian. Noticing the look of confusion and horror at being transported from the vet's office to the bed Misto had made for patients, Misto said, "Hello, I am the magical Mr. Mistoffelees – you may or may not have heard rumours on the streets about me. I'm branching out from minor healing to cases like yours." He conjured the older cat's medical chart and read, "end-stage small-cell lung carcinoma with hemoptysis and dyspnea, likely caused by second-hand smoke from owners."

Misto put the chart down and placed both of his paws over the chest of the old tabby, who looked notably uncertain and a bit frightened. Knowing the extent of the damage, he let a rather large stream of sparks enter the lungs of the dying cat, which destroyed the cancerous tissue and regenerated healthy lungs. "Take a deep breath." He did, and was shocked and relieved that he could breath properly again. The trouble breathing and the bloody coughing were gone. The old tabby broke down, crying with relief, and Misto hugged him. "You're going to be fine." He wrote into the chart with a fountain pen Tugger gave him, "Patient requires final axial, coronal, and saggital CT scans for use in future scientific research; please read scans before euthanasia", knowing that the scans would come back clean and the old tabby would not be put down.

Misto smiled and sent the chart and the patient back to the vet's office, and then turned to Tugger, noticing his partner focussing on controlling recently-used magic, returning unused sparks back within himself. Observing Misto's puzzled look, he said, "Demeter came by with a cough that turned out to be stemming from an upper respiratory infection. I stepped out while you were focused on the old tabby and healed it, but it took up almost all the magic I had left." Misto genuinely smiled and said, "You're one remarkable cat; I think together we'll do great things. Here." He shot streams of blue sparks up Tugger's arms again, as before. "I'm tired and need a nap. Care to join?" The Maine Coon said with a smile, "Of course", and jumped into bed with Misto, kissing him lovingly and then saying "I love you". Misto replied, "I love you too, forever and always." They fell asleep in each other's arms, entwined.


End file.
